Security News > 2024 > April > Windows 11 KB5036980 update goes live with Start Menu ads

Microsoft has enabled Start menu ads in the optional KB5036980 preview cumulative update for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2. The company first announced that it was working on adding ads to the Windows 11 Start menu just 12 days ago when it began rolling out this feature to Insiders in the Beta Channel to help users discover "Great apps" available in the Microsoft Store.

While it also said that it regularly tries "Out new experiences and concepts that may never get released with Windows Insiders to get feedback," Redmond has now turned on the Start menu ads for all customers who install the optional April 2024 non-security preview update.

Windows users can install this update by going into Windows Update in Settings and clicking 'Check for Updates.

Microsoft also experimented with ads in the Windows 11 Start menu in November 2022, promoting some of its products, including OneDrive, in the Start menu's sign-out flyout menu and expanding the feature in March 2023 with new "Treatments."

Redmond Microsoft also showed ads for its products to Insiders in the File Explorer app in March 2021 and promoted Microsoft Edge in the Start Menu of Windows 10 one year before.

Microsoft now testing app ads in Windows 11's Start menu.

News URL

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/windows-11-kb5036980-update-goes-live-with-start-menu-ads/